Newton, who was the first No. 1 NFL pick to sign a contract under the rookie pay scale and won the Rookie of the Year award in 2011, told reporters that he's focused on winning.

"The only thing that's on my mind right now is a three-letter word. I think y'all know what that three-letter word is," said Newton, referring to his desire to win.

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan recently signed a major extension, Lions passer Matthew Stafford did the same over the summer and Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks like Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers and Baltimore's Joe Flacco signed big-money extensions.

Newton is heading into the third year of a four-year, $22-million deal that includes a club option for a fifth season.

Under the terms of the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, Newton can't renegotiate his contract until the 2013 season has ended.

In his first two seasons, Newton is 13-19 as a starter despite throwing for 7,902 yards, rushing for 1,447 yards and producing 62 total touchdowns in his first two seasons.